Elephant Parade
Encyclopedia
Elephant Parade is the world’s largest open-air exhibition dedicated to saving the Asian elephant
from extinction. During a couple of months, hundreds of brightly coloured elephants swarm the streets of the city. Each elephant is a unique art object, painted by local and international artists. At the end of the exhibition the statues are auctioned by a renowned auction house, such as Christie’s or Sotheby’s. Part of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to The Asian Elephant Foundation, dedicated to selecting the project with the best profile in relation to saving the Asian elephant.
, the second largest city of the Netherlands, in 2007. Antwerp followed in 2008. From 5 September through 31 October 2009, Elephant Parade visited Amsterdam
, the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. In 2010, Elephant Parades were held in Emmen, in the North East of The Netherlands and London
, the capital of Great Britain
. In 2011, there will be Elephant Parades in Heerlen
, a city in the very south of the Netherlands, from 25 March through 25 May, in Copenhagen
from 1 June through 25 August, in Milan
from 16 September through 15 November and in Singapore
from 11 November through January 2012.
There are many artists involved with Elephant Parade. The elephants are painted by famous people, renowned artists, designers and young creative persons that make use of the project as a platform to reach the big audience. Miniatures are made from most of the Elephant Parade elephants, varying in size from 5 cms to 75 cms. These miniature elephants are hand painted in Thailand and come in a limited edition. The replica’s are sold in the Elephant Parade webshop.
Elephant Parade is an initiative of father Marc and son Mike Spits, both entrepreneurs. After a visit to the first elephant hospital in the world, in Lampang, near Chiang Mai, Thailand, they decided to set up a project to make the people aware of the sad situation of the Asian elephant. And thus Elephant Parade was founded.
Part of the proceeds are donated to The Asian Elephant Foundation. This foundation supports various projects throughout Asia, from elephant hospitals to the lease of land where elephants have ample space to migrate, breed and live peacefully.
, Henk Schiffmacher
, Menno Baars, Ilse DeLange
, Corneille
, Rob Scholte
, Raymond Hoogendorp and Daryl van Wouw each designed an art elephant.
The elephants were auctioned by Christie’s in November 2009. The best selling elephant was by Corneille which was sold for €42,000. The BaarsFant by Menno Baars was sold for €30,000. Only a few weeks after the auction, Menno Baars designed his second elephant, named BabyBelly. This time, however, he painted the elephant during a live session at the Kalvertoren
, a shopping mall in the Kalverstraat,a famous shopping street in Amsterdam. BabyBelly is the smaller version art elephant depicting a pregnant elephant that symbolizes the conservation of its species.
was chosen for Elephant Parade, with 250 art elephants being designed by Marc Quinn
, Lulu Guinness
and Diane von Furstenberg
and others. The celebrity auction, that was held in June 2010, resulted in over GBP 4 million ($7,150,000). The showpiece of the auction was made by Jack Vettriano
and attracted the highest bid of GBP 155,000 ($252,600).
, and was sold for €68,000 ($98,188). By a sad coincidence, Corneille died only three days prior to the auction.
Elephant Parade Copenhagen will be from 1 June through 25 August 2011. Elephant Parade Milan will be from 16 September through 15 November and Elephant Parade Singapore will be held between 11 November and January 2012.
Elephant Parade is supported by the following famous persons: Boris Johnson
(mayor of London), Goldie Hawn
(famous American actress), Ilse DeLange
(famous Dutch singer), Jan Mol, Joanna Lumley
, Job Cohen
(mayor of Amsterdam), Jonnie Boer (Michelin Star chef), Michael Palin
, Rob de Nijs
(famous Dutch singer), Sarah, Duchess of York
, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and Prince Henrik of Denmark
.
Asian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
from extinction. During a couple of months, hundreds of brightly coloured elephants swarm the streets of the city. Each elephant is a unique art object, painted by local and international artists. At the end of the exhibition the statues are auctioned by a renowned auction house, such as Christie’s or Sotheby’s. Part of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to The Asian Elephant Foundation, dedicated to selecting the project with the best profile in relation to saving the Asian elephant.
History
The first edition of Elephant Parade was held in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, the second largest city of the Netherlands, in 2007. Antwerp followed in 2008. From 5 September through 31 October 2009, Elephant Parade visited Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. In 2010, Elephant Parades were held in Emmen, in the North East of The Netherlands and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the capital of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. In 2011, there will be Elephant Parades in Heerlen
Heerlen
Heerlen is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. The municipality is the second largest in the province of Limburg. It forms part of Parkstad Limburg, , an agglomeration of about 220,000 inhabitants.After its early Roman beginnings and a rather modest medieval period, Heerlen...
, a city in the very south of the Netherlands, from 25 March through 25 May, in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
from 1 June through 25 August, in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
from 16 September through 15 November and in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
from 11 November through January 2012.
There are many artists involved with Elephant Parade. The elephants are painted by famous people, renowned artists, designers and young creative persons that make use of the project as a platform to reach the big audience. Miniatures are made from most of the Elephant Parade elephants, varying in size from 5 cms to 75 cms. These miniature elephants are hand painted in Thailand and come in a limited edition. The replica’s are sold in the Elephant Parade webshop.
Elephant Parade is an initiative of father Marc and son Mike Spits, both entrepreneurs. After a visit to the first elephant hospital in the world, in Lampang, near Chiang Mai, Thailand, they decided to set up a project to make the people aware of the sad situation of the Asian elephant. And thus Elephant Parade was founded.
Part of the proceeds are donated to The Asian Elephant Foundation. This foundation supports various projects throughout Asia, from elephant hospitals to the lease of land where elephants have ample space to migrate, breed and live peacefully.
Elephant Parade Amsterdam
Over 100 art elephants participated in the Elephant Parade Amsterdam, in 2009. For the Amsterdam edition of Elephant Parade, artists such as Jan des BouvrieJan Des Bouvrie
Jan des Bouvrie is a furniture designer, who also designs the furnishings in hotels.-Career:After he finished high school, he went to the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam at the age of sixteen. He later started his own interior design shop, and hosted the TV show TV Woonmagazine...
, Henk Schiffmacher
Henk Schiffmacher
Hendrikus Johannes Everhardus Schiffmacher is a Dutch tattoo artist who is also considered an expert within the field of body decoration, having curated exhibitions, written books and presented television shows on the subject...
, Menno Baars, Ilse DeLange
Ilse DeLange
Ilse Annoeska de Lange is a Dutch country and pop singer, better known as Ilse DeLange .-Biography:...
, Corneille
Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo
Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo , better known under his pseudonym Corneille, was a Dutch artist.Corneille was born in Liege, Belgium, although his parents were Dutch and moved back to the Netherlands when he was 12. He studied art at the Academy of Art in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands...
, Rob Scholte
Rob Scholte
Rob Scholte is a Dutch contemporary artist. From 1977 to 1982 he studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam. His work consists of reproductions of images from the media and from art history...
, Raymond Hoogendorp and Daryl van Wouw each designed an art elephant.
The elephants were auctioned by Christie’s in November 2009. The best selling elephant was by Corneille which was sold for €42,000. The BaarsFant by Menno Baars was sold for €30,000. Only a few weeks after the auction, Menno Baars designed his second elephant, named BabyBelly. This time, however, he painted the elephant during a live session at the Kalvertoren
Kalvertoren
The Kalvertoren, a shopping center in Amsterdam, is located on Kalverstraat, Amsterdam's busiest shopping street.The project was developed by Multi Corporation...
, a shopping mall in the Kalverstraat,a famous shopping street in Amsterdam. BabyBelly is the smaller version art elephant depicting a pregnant elephant that symbolizes the conservation of its species.
Elephant Parade London
In 2010, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was chosen for Elephant Parade, with 250 art elephants being designed by Marc Quinn
Marc Quinn
Marc Quinn is a British artist and part of the group known as Britartists or YBAs . He is known for Alison Lapper Pregnant , Self , and Garden .He is one of the Young British...
, Lulu Guinness
Lulu Guinness
Lucinda "Lulu" Jane Guinness, OBE is a well-known British accessories fashion designer.Lulu Guinness OBE famous for her unique and quintessentially British handbags and accessories, launched her company in 1989. Instant praise in the fashion media paved the way for Lulu Guinness shops in London,...
and Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
and others. The celebrity auction, that was held in June 2010, resulted in over GBP 4 million ($7,150,000). The showpiece of the auction was made by Jack Vettriano
Jack Vettriano
Jack Vettriano OBE born Jack Hoggan , is a Scottish painter.- Early life :Jack Vettriano grew up in the industrial seaside town of Methil, Fife. He left school at 16 and later became an apprentice mining engineer. Vettriano did not take up painting as a hobby until the 1970s, when a girlfriend...
and attracted the highest bid of GBP 155,000 ($252,600).
Elephant Parade Emmen Zoo
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Emmen Zoo, Elephant Parade also visited Emmen, a city in the North Eastern province of Drenthe, in 2010. Starting on Ascension day, 13 May, until the end of August, 75 art elephants were exhibited in the centre of the town and in the Zoo itself. Most of the elephants were made by artists from that region. The auction, led by Christie’s, was at the Eden Hotel in Emmen on 9 September 2010. The best selling elephant of Elephant Parade Emmen Zoo was by Corneille, famous Dutch painter of the Cobra groupCobra Group
Cobra Group may refer to:*Cobra Group , a direct-sales company*COBRA , an art movement also known as Cobra group...
, and was sold for €68,000 ($98,188). By a sad coincidence, Corneille died only three days prior to the auction.
Elephant Parade Tour Bergen
In the artist village of Bergen, in the North of The Netherlands, it was for the first time that an Elephant Parade Tour was organized. 65 smaller sized elephants (75cms tall – the ‘life’-sized ones are 150 cms tall) were exhibited in the windows of various shops and galleries in the centre of Bergen. The exhibition started on 22 August and on 30 October the elephants were auctioned by Christie’s. The proceeds from these 65 elephants was €127,000 ($181,600). On the last day of the Elephant Parade Bergen Tour, it was announced that the town council acquired an art elephant of the artist George Jurriaens, to be placed at the local Museum Kranenburgh. Already elephants from previous Elephant Parades were temporarily placed in museums such as the Natural History Museum in London, but it is in the town of Bergen that an elephant from Elephant Parade acquired a much sought-after position in the permanent collection of a museum.Elephant Parade 2011
In 2011, Elephant Parade elephants will swarm the streets of four cities. The first one will be in Heerlen, from 25 March through 25 May. This Elephant Parade has been organized by the foundation ‘Stichting Vrouwen laten Heerlen Glimlachen’ (Women put a smile on the city of Heerlen). This edition of Elephant Parade will exhibit 40 art elephants. The auction will be on 28 May 2011.Elephant Parade Copenhagen will be from 1 June through 25 August 2011. Elephant Parade Milan will be from 16 September through 15 November and Elephant Parade Singapore will be held between 11 November and January 2012.
Elephant Parade is supported by the following famous persons: Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
(mayor of London), Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
(famous American actress), Ilse DeLange
Ilse DeLange
Ilse Annoeska de Lange is a Dutch country and pop singer, better known as Ilse DeLange .-Biography:...
(famous Dutch singer), Jan Mol, Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
, Job Cohen
Job Cohen
Marius Job Cohen is a Dutch social democratic politician and former legal scholar of Jewish background. Since 2010 he has been the leader of the Labour Party and since June 17, 2010 he has been a member of the House of Representatives, where he also is the Parliamentary group leader of the Labour...
(mayor of Amsterdam), Jonnie Boer (Michelin Star chef), Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
, Rob de Nijs
Rob de Nijs
Rob de Nijs is a Dutch singer and actor, active since the 1960s.-1962-68:De Nijs, backed by The Lords, released his first single in 1962, Ritme van de Regen. In 1966 he embarked on a joint circus-tour with Johnny Lion...
(famous Dutch singer), Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and Prince Henrik of Denmark
Prince Henrik of Denmark
Prince Henrik of Denmark, Count of Monpezat is a Danish prince and a member of the Danish Royal Family.-Danish prince:Prince Henrik is the third and youngest son of Prince Joachim. The prince is Joachim's first child with his second wife, Princess Marie of Denmark...
.